"My experience with Oliver and New Age Masonry was excellent from beginning to end. I knew from the 3 or 4 quotes that I got for my tuckpointing project that he would be my choice based on his price and experience. Oliver is honest, very experienced, easy to do business with, and he delivered on what he promised. The day of the project, he showed up on time, early in the morning got busy and just plain got the job done. He matched the mortar as best as possible for a 51 year old house. He grinded and patched all of the holes that were drilled in to the mortar by the previous owner (there were a lot), he grinded and patched areas where the mortar had crumbled away, he reset some stone window ledges that were loose, he cut out and replaced some bricks that were damaged as well, matching the bricks pretty well. He stopped and answered my questions when I asked them and his partner was very focused and worked hard. Oliver even gave me tips on how to clean my brick. I am extremely happy with the work they did and I highly recommend them to anyone who needs brick work done. I have peace of mind now knowing that my brick work is repaired. Thank you Oliver and New Age Masonry. I sure made the right choice hiring your company!"
"Great work. We hired Al to replace 5 rows of brick at the top of our chimney as well as the cap. The new brick is a perfect match and the chimney looks great."
"Chaffee did an excellent job on the masonry repair I needed. Had been looking for someone to repair concrete stone steps leading from 2 wide patio glass doors into my back yard. Work was perfect. Got a written quote which was very reasonable and project completed in 2 days. Result is stunning. Very professional! Would highly recommend them."
"If ever you need masonry repairs, call Chuy. The price was competitive, quick, and expertly done. Thank you, Chuy and Rocio. We couldn't be more pleased."
"exrtremely professional, polite, friendly, cleaned up afterwards, showed picture of some tiles on roof torn off, hired them to come out next week to fix. brickwork looks fantastic."
"83 Masonry was fantastic in communicating, doing what they promised, doing an excellent job. He listened as I described the problem, and with professional know-how found the solution. The finished work is perfect. I felt they are willing to see any problem through, should any occur. They are trustworthy and exhibit admirable work ethic. They cleaned the work area when the job was finished."
"Owner and crew were all extremely hardworking in removing and replacing top 20+ rows of chimney bricks and top mantle. They did a great job of cleaning the work site at the end of each day - very neat workers. Work was completed in a very timely manner as weather permitted. Would definitely recommend them for any similar work."
"We used Atlas Restoration for new interior drain tile, sump pump, window well drains and connection to public storm system. The entire process was smooth from estimate through installation. Gary Milligan was very knowledgable, helpful, and available whenever we had questions. The installation crew, led by Ruben, was phenomenal. They took extra care while working in our home and focused on cleaning up each day. Overall, our expectations were exceeded and we would recommend Atlas to friends and family."
"I had to install an emergency egress window in my basement as part of a remodel project. This required excavation, demoing the finished basement interior to expose the concrete foundation, cutting an opening in the concrete, and installing the new window. Scott is very professional, honest, and very communicative. I knew exactly what was going to happen and what to expect. There were no surprises. I would highly recommend Crowbar for any home project falling within their area of expertise."
It’s called cobblestone because it’s made of stones that are “cobbed” together. A cob is a term that refers to rounded lumps. Originally, cobblestone streets were made from pebbles and stones gathered from riverbeds that had been rounded over time by the passage of water. The term has nothing to do with a cobbler, which is the term for someone who makes and fixes shoes.
The best tool for drilling into brick or mortar is a rotary hammer drill which is a large hammer drill with low rotation speed and high torque. Regular drills with a hammer function are also excellent tools for drilling into brick when the diameter of the hole is 1/2 inch or less. It might be possible to drill into brick with a standard drill if you’re only drilling a very small hole, but note that masonry work will put a lot of wear on a standard drill, and the tool may not be strong enough to get through brick.
Stone houses used to be much more practical, but with the advent of stronger and cheaper materials like concrete, they aren’t seen as much anymore. There are some parts of the world where it makes sense to build with stone, and they are usually next to a stone quarry. Stone is, however, very weather-resistant, which is why many homes near the sea and on mountains are still built with local stone.
Mortar and thinset both serve the same purpose—tile adhesion—but have different compositions and use-cases. Thinset is heatproof and presents a wide range of possibilities due to the added polymers. Mortar is typically used for bonding stones and brick. Thinset is rarely used outside, while mortar is rarely used inside.
Modern brick homes have a brick facade over standard framing and sheathing, so the brick offers minimal added structural stability. A home with traditional brick construction is more durable than a stick-built home, as the double-layer brick walls and rebar resist higher lateral wind loads and support heavier loads up top, as well.
The Lemont, IL homeowners’ guide to masonry services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
Door or window lintel replacement costs $400 on average, but there are ways you can save. On the other hand, complicated work will increase costs considerably.
Need to repoint brick in your home to make your home look fresh and new? Use this guide to repointing brick cost to price out your project before starting.
Discover the wide variety of masonry materials for your next home upgrade project. Our guide covers the different types of materials to choose from and more.
When it comes to masonry versus concrete, it can be easy to confuse the two. Use this guide to learn about the differences in appearance, strength, and more.